Flexible drive means for socket wrenches



y 1952 B. G. SCHELLENGER 2,603,996

FLEXI1LE DRIVE MEANS FOR SOCKET WRENCHES Filed Dec. 17, 1948 BernardSahel/anger INVENTOR.

Patented July 22, 1952 FLEXIBLE DRIVE MEANS FOR SOCKET I WRENCHESBernard G.- Schellenger, Eugene, Oreg., assignor of one-fourth to HermanP.'Hendershott, Eu-

gene, Oreg.

Application December 17, 1948, Serial No; 65,832

This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structuralrefinements in wrenches, and the principal objectof the invention is tofacilitate convenient and expeditious tightening or loosening'of nuts orbolts, particularly those disposed in poorly accessible locations.

This object is achieved by the provision of a wrench including astationary handle provided with a rotatable shank carrying a workengaging tool or-socket, together with a flexible endless drive membersuch as a rope, cable or chain which is so arranged that pulling thereonrotates the shank together with the work at a substantial rate of speed.

1 Claim. (01. 8154) An important feature of the invention, there- Ifore, resides in the particular structural arrangement whereby theflexible endless drive member is operatively connected totheaforementioned shank, while another feature resides in the provisionof means for retaining the drive member in operative engagement with theshank, thus permitting the drive member to be twisted, passed aroundcorners, or the like, without impairing the operability of the device.

A still further feature of the invention resides in the particularconstructionof a drive chain which is particularly well adapted for usein this device.

Some of the advantages of" theinvention lie in its simplicity ofconstruction, convenience of operation, and in its adaptability toeconomical manufacture.

With the above more important objects and features in view, and suchother objects and features as may become apparent as this specificationproceeds, the invention consists essentially of the arrangement andconstruction of parts as illlustrated in the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure l is a perspective view of the invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical cross sectional view thereof;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view, taken substantially on the plane ofthe line 33 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified embodiment ofthe invention, and

Figure 5 is a transverse cross sectional view of the driving wheel usedin the embodiment shown in Figure 4.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in thespecification and throughout the several views.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings 38 which is attached to thehan dle by a pluralin detail, more particularly to Figures 1, 2 and 3,the invention consists of a wrench designated generally by the referencecharacter II], the same embodying in its construction atatio'nary'handle I2 which is preferably of a disc-shaped configuration,being provided with an axial bore I4 to freely and rotatablyv receiveone end portion of a shank I6, as is best shown in Figure 2.

' The bore I4 of the handle I2 is counter-bored as at I8, 20 toaccommodatea pair of suitable anti-friction bearings 22, 24respectively, whereby the shank I6 is rotatably supported in the handle,as will be clearlyapparent. It is to be noted that an intermediateportion of the shank I6 is polygonal as indicated at 26, and the portionof the shank I6 between the bearing 24 and the polygonal portion 26accommodate apair of washers 28, 30 between which is interposed asubstantially semi-circular guide plate 32 hereinafter more fullydescribed.

. The plate 32 is, of course, spaced away from the adjacent surface ofthe handle I2 by the washer 28, and it should be understood that theplate 32 is preferably rotatable or swingable on the shank I6. p v

The inner end of the shank I6 carries a further washer 34 and a nut 36whereby the shank and the handle I2 are retained togetherjand-ifdesired, the counter-bore l8 of the handle as well as the entire uppersurface of the handle may be covered by a suitable circular disc orplate ity of screws 40. v I

The outer end portion 42 of the shank I6 is .also polygonal thoughpreferably smaller in cross section than the intermediate portion 26,the portion 42 being adapted to removably receive thereon a suitablework engaging tool 44, such as forfexample, a conventional Wrenchsocket. This socket may be removably retained in position on the shankportion 42 in any wellknown manner, such as for example, by aspring'pressed ball 46 with which the shank portion 42 may be provided,as indicated in Figure 2.

A dividing wheel 48 is positioned on the polygonal portion 26 of theshank I6, being retained thereon in any desired manner, such as forexample, by a further, spring pressed ball 50. The wheel 48 is formedwith a peripheral groove 52 which is engaged by a flexible, endlessdrive member 54, such as for example, a rope or cable.

This cable is retained in engagement with the wheel 48 by a marginal,arcuate flange 56 provided on the aforementioned guide plate 32, thisflange being disposed in spaced adjacent relation to the periphery ofthe wheel 48 and the member 54 passing between the flange and the wheelin such mannerthat it is urged by the flange in frictional engagementwith the groove 52, as indicated in Figure 2.

Accordingly, it will be noted that when a pulling force is exerted uponthe outer loop por tion of the member 54 and the handle I! is held, arotating motion will be imparted to the wheel 48, shank I6 and to thework engaging tool 44, so that the work may be loosened r tightened asdesired,

depending upon the direction in which the member 54 is pulled. Themember 54 is flexible, it may be twisted or passed around cornerswhereby the wrench may be eflectively and expeditiously employed inpoorly accessible locations.

To prevent the ends of the guide flange 56 from cutting or otherwisedamaging the rope or cable 54, the ends of the guide flange may beprovided with outwardly arcuate'd portions 58, as is best shown inFigures 1 and 3-. It is to be noted that I While the drive member 1 isintended for use primarily when the work is free running, the wrench maybe also employed for final tightening and initial loosening of the work,to which end the peripheral portion of the wheel 48 is formed with aplurality of blind bores or apertures 60, wherein a hand bar 62 may beinserted for the purpose of exerting substantial torque on the shank andwork engaging tool.

The modified embodiment of the invention illustrated in the accompanyingFigures 4 and 5 is similar to the embodiment already described, but thismodified embodiment, designated generally by the reference character 10,employs a flexible, endless drive member in the form of a speciallyconstructed chain 12 and a driving wheel 14 which is particularlyadapted to be engaged by the special chain.

The chain [2 simply consists of a plurality of spaced balls or spheres16 which are connected together by flexible cable-like elements 18,while the periphery of the driving wheel 14 is provided with a series ofspaced depressions or recesses 85 and with arcuate segments 82 of acircumferen tial groove or channel which passes through or intersectsthe recesses 8U, as shown in Figures 4 and 5.

When the chain 12 engages the wheel 14, the balls or spheres 16 arereceivable in the recesses 30 while the flexible elements 18 aresimilarly receivable in the groove segments 82, whereby the possibilityof slippage of the chain on the wheel is prevented and a more positivedriveis obtained than is possible in the cable or rope embodimentillustrated in Figures 1-3.

It is to be noted that the, releasable retaining means 50 in theembodiment ll]v facilitates re- 'moval of the wheel 43 from the shankportion 26,

so that the rope or cable drive may be substituted by a chain drive, andvice versa while employing the same shank and handle.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will beclearly apparent from the foregoing disclosure and accordingly, furtherdescription thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

While in the foregoing there has been shown and described the preferredembodiment of this invention, it is to be understood that minor changesin the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be resortedto Without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention asclaimed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

In a wrench, the combination of a substantially disc shaped stationaryhandle provided with an axial bore, a shank having a cylindrical innerend portion rotatable in said bore and projecting outwardly therefrom,said shank also having a polygonal intermediate portion disposed outsidethe shank and a polygonal outer end portion to receive a work engagingtool, a driving wheel positioned on the intermediate portion of saidshank for rotation therewith and provided with a perimetrie track andwith driving recesses of circumierentially spaced points on said track,said wheel being spaced fromsaid handle and providedat its peripherywith a plurality of spaced inwardly extending apertures, a flexibleendless drive member having a relatively short portion of its length inoperative engagement with the track of said wheel, driving elementsprovided spaced points on said drive member and receivable in saidrecesses, the remaining portion of said drive member extending away fromthe wrench and being completely unsupported thereby, a substantiallysemicircular plate independently rotatable on the cylindrical portion ofsaid shank between said wheel and said handle, a substantiallysemi-circular marginal flange provided on said plate in closely spacedrelation to the periphery of said wheel, whereby to sustain saidrelatively short portion of said member in operative engagement withsaid track, and supplemental drive means comprising a torque bar havingan end portion thereof receivable in said apertures.

BERNARD G. SCHELLENGER.

REFERENCES crrnp The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Lybyer -2. Apr. 5, 1949

